Briarlight's Struggle
by Grasswing of Wingclan
Summary: When will I be happy with who I see in my reflections? Briarlight struggles to deal with her injury and wonders why she was the unlucky one. One-shot for Leopardfire892. I don't own the song, Reflections or characters!


**A/N: One of the authors on this site asked me if I could make a one-shot about Briarlight for her, so here it is. This is for Leopardfire892, and I hope you guys enjoy it. Listen to the song, Reflections, from Mulan when reading this story.**

A brown she-cat dragged herself outside into the Thunderclan clearing and plopped down under the shade of one of the trees that loomed over the clearing. She looked miserably at her clanmates, her siblings especially. Bumblestripe had everything, a loving mate, the ability to walk, and could be a useful asset to the clan. Her sister, Blossomfall could walk and run with her friends.

Yet she couldn't run. She couldn't go on patrols, or even hunt for her clanmates, just lay there, feeling useless. She looked down at the small puddle not too far from her and looked at her reflection. She saw a brown she-cat standing in the place on her, running and playing with the others.

All because she ran back to the elders den to help Longtail. She suffered from the decision and lost everything. Did Honeyfern die in vain then? She thought to herself, thinking about the golden she-cat who had given her life up to save her from the adder. No, I can still be a use to the clan. She looked down at her reflection in the puddle, a single tear sliding down her cheek and falling into the puddle, and messing up. The once smiling, happy cat in the puddle became a sad, brown she-cat with a broken back.

I can't look at myself; she thought with a whimper and began to drag herself away from the puddle. She dragged herself into the medicine cat den and plopped down into her nest. Staining her ears, she heard talking outside. "Do you know if Briarlight is in the medicine cat den?" asked a voice and Briarlight let out a growl. Millie.

"I'm not sure? You spend so much time with her. I rarely get to see her! How should I know where she is?" another cat hissed and Briarlight flattened her ears against her skull, hiding her face in her paws. It was her sister, Blossomfall. She had always been upset that their own mother spent more time with her than with her other two kits. Blossomfall, it's not my fault. Don't be mad, she thought miserably. I hate all this attention she gives me also.

The sound of paws got louder as Millie walked into the den. Briarlight quickly closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. "Briarlight? Are you awake?" Millie asked sweetly and gently nudged her. Briarlight opened one eye and looked at her mother. "Briarlight. I know that you might still be upset about not being a warrior but-" Briarlight ignored what came next, clenching her teeth and holding back a stinging retort. Might still be? Is she that blind? She dug her claws into the mossy bedding.

"- and if you stop hiding your feelings from others than nobody can help you. I'm here for you," Millie finished and Briarlight narrowed her eyes. "You want me to tell you how I am feeling? Fine! I'm miserable because I am practically useless!" she growled and Millie nodded. "But not as mad as I am with you!" she spat and Millie took a step back, dumb-founded. "You spend so much time with me and then what do you do? You don't even bother to spend any time with Blossomfall and Bumblestripe! Or did you forget that you had other kits?!" she yowled and Millie opened her mouth to answer. "No! Just- Just go!" she hissed and turned so her back was facing her mother.

"Fine," Millie murmured and walked off, hurt. Briarlight couldn't believe it. She had just yelled at her mother! I never do things like that! She looked down at her paws. When will I finally be happy? She sighed, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. When can I look at myself in a puddle and be happy about who I am?

**A/N: How did you guys like it? It was a bit shorter than usual but I still think it is good. This song at first I thought would go good with Brightheart but then I listened to it again and thought Briarlight would go well with this song, right? Please guys, I know before I said I am excepting cats, but right now, I have so many to complete and I want to finish them all first before I except more! If you want to see what ones might be next, they are on my profile! Oh and here is a question of the day:**

**What is your favourite Disney princesses?**

**I loved Mulan, Tiana, Ariel, Jasmine, Rapunzel, Elsa, and Pocahontas.**

**-Grasswing.**


End file.
